Melissa Ferrick

Melissa Ferrick
Melissa Ferrick

Melissa Ferrick performing on September 10, 2008
Background information
Born September 21, 1970 (1970-09-21) (age 41)
Origin Massachusetts, United States
Genres Folk-Rock
Occupations Singer-songwriter
Instruments Guitar, bass guitar, vocals, percussion, flugelhorn
Years active 1991–present
Labels Atlantic (1992–1995)
W.A.R.? - What Are Records? (1997–2000)
Right On Records (2000–2010)
MPress Records (2010-Present)
Website www.melissaferrick.com
www.myspace.com/melissaferrick

Melissa Ferrick (born 1970) is an American singer-songwriter.

Contents

Early life

Ferrick was raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Her father John was a well-liked public school teacher who managed several free-jazz bands on the side. As a child, Ferrick would often accompany her father to clubs on Boston's North Shore to watch the bands play.[1] She began taking classical violin lessons at the age of five, and then moved on to the piano. In elementary and junior high school, she learned the trumpet and bass. Altogether, she received 12 years of formal music training, including two years each at the Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music. Ferrick taught herself to play the acoustic guitar at Berklee, and dropped out after two years to pursue her music career.[citation needed]

Music

Ferrick began her career singing and playing in coffeehouses in the East Village, New York City.[2] She received a great deal of publicity in 1991 when she replaced, at the last minute, the opening act for the singer Morrissey on tour. She was subsequently signed to a recording contract with Atlantic Records and released her first studio album, Massive Blur, in 1993.

Ferrick's relationship with Atlantic was rocky. She was dropped when her first two albums did not meet the producers' financial expectations.[citation needed]

In 1996, she—in her words -- "bottomed out", drinking and "taking a bunch of pills".[3] After sobering up, she returned to music, signing with the indie label W.A.R.? - What Are Records?. Ferrick released three albums on this label.

In 2000, Ferrick founded her own record label, Right On Records. The first studio album released on her own label was Valentine Heartache. Since her departure from Atlantic, the rise in her popularity has been driven by her fan-base, by reviews in the independent and alternative press, and by word-of-mouth.[citation needed]

In the Eyes of Strangers, released in October 2006, was the sixth album released on her own label. Ferrick partially financed the recording costs for In The Eyes of Strangers with digital downloads of acoustic versions of select songs which fans could purchase directly via her website.[4] Her fourteenth album, Goodbye Youth, was released September 2008.[5] In Spring 2010, she released an album of cover songs called Enough About Me, and announced plans to release an album of original material later that same year.[6]

During live performances, Ferrick mostly accompanies herself on a Collings OM3 SB acoustic guitar. She has also experimented with loop pedals and a range of accompaniments, including, in particular, brass instruments.

Ferrick's rigorous touring schedule generally includes more than 150 shows per year.[7] She plays solo gigs in small to medium-sized clubs and numerous festivals, as well as larger venues accompanied by a band. In 2007, she performed at the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, and opened for Indigo Girls and Ani Difranco.[citation needed]

Her musical inspirations include Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, Simon and Garfunkel, Earth Wind and Fire, The Beatles, Tori Amos, Coldplay, Radiohead, Dave Matthews, Ryan Adams, and Ani DiFranco.[8]

Personal life

Melissa Ferrick is openly gay,[9] and some of her lyrics deal with lesbian themes. Her album Everything I Need was named 1999 Album of the Year by the Gay and Lesbian American Music Association, and she has received positive reviews in the queer publication The Advocate.[citation needed] In interviews and articles she speaks openly not only about her sexuality, but also about her love life, and her personal life in general.[10][11]

Discography

  • 1993 - Massive Blur
  • 1995 - Willing to Wait
  • 1996 - Made of Honor
  • 1997 - Melissa Ferrick +1 (Live)
  • 1998 - Everything I Need
  • 2000 - Freedom
  • 2001 - Skinnier, Faster, Live at the B.P.C. (Live)
  • 2001 - Valentine Heartache
  • 2002 - Listen Hard
  • 2003 - 70 People at 7000 Feet (Live)
  • 2004 - The Other Side
  • 2006 - In the Eyes of Strangers
  • 2006 - Decade (video)
  • 2007 - Live at Union Hall (Live)
  • 2008 - Goodbye Youth
  • 2010 - Enough About Me
  • 2011 - Still Right Here

References

  1. ^ "Behind the Scenes - Melissa Ferrick". Camp Betty Campout 2005. 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503190206/http://www.campbettycampout.com/2005/behindthescenes/melissaferrick.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  2. ^ Follos, Tim (2006-12-05). "Today's Top Stop: Melissa Ferrick". Express Night Out. Washington Post. http://expressnightout.com/content/2006/12/todays_top_stop_melissa_ferrick.php. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  3. ^ Robinson, Matthew S. (2001-03-15). "Interview with Melissa Ferrick". MusicDish Industry e-Journal. http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=3348. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  4. ^ Myers, Chuck (2007-07-27). "Don't call Melissa Ferrick a folkie - she's a rocker". PopMatters.com. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/article/43266/dont-call-melissa-ferrick-a-folkie-shes-a-rocker/. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  5. ^ Wootton, Sharon (2008-08-01). "Melissa Ferrick: Grammy nominee to show talents on Monroe stage". The Daily Herald. http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080801/ENT/382067688. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  6. ^ http://www.afterellen.com/blog/snoodit/melissa-ferrick-has-it-covered
  7. ^ Belge, Kathy. "An Interview with Melissa Ferrick". Lesbian Life. About.com. http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/lesbianmusicians/a/MelissaFerrick.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  8. ^ Harper, Marques G. (2006-09-16). "Melissa Ferrick to play Pride in the Park". The Roanoke Times. http://www.roanoke.com/extra/wb/xp-82894. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  9. ^ Hensley, Dennis (2004-06-22). "Why did Melissa cross the road? Melissa Ferrick talks about taking risks to put out her latest CD, The Other Side". The Advocate. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2004_June_22/ai_n6146755. Retrieved 2008-09-27. [dead link]
  10. ^ Shapiro, Gregg (2004-05-27). "Another Side : An interview with Melissa Ferrick". PrideSource. http://www.pridesource.com/article.shtml?article=7993. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 
  11. ^ Robertson, Jessica. "Rockin' Out Interview: Melissa Ferrick". Spinner.com. http://www.spinner.com/2008/06/27/rockin-out-interview-melissa-ferrick/. Retrieved 2008-09-27. 

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Freedom (album) — Freedom is the name of several albums, including:* Freedom (Santana album) (1987) by Santana * Freedom (Neil Young album) (1989) by Neil Young * Freedom (Paul Anka album) (1991) by Paul Anka * Freedom (Yothu Yindi album) (1993) by Yothu Yindi *… …   Wikipedia

  • A Crash Course in Roses — Infobox Album | Name = A Crash Course in Roses Type = Album Artist = Catie Curtis Released = August 3, 1999 Recorded = Genre = Folk Rock Length = 52:39 Label = Rykodisc Producer = Catie Curtis, Ben Wisch Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4|5… …   Wikipedia

  • EE Storey — Emily Emy Storey is a Montreal based art director, graphic designer and illustrator. Born in Kinderhook, New York, Storey moved to Montreal to study Design Art at Concordia University, where she received her Fine Arts degree in 2003. Storey… …   Wikipedia

  • Solace (Xavier Rudd album) — Infobox Album | Name = Solace Type = studio Artist = Xavier Rudd Released = March 28, 2004 (Australia) Recorded = Genre = Blues nRoots Alternative Length = Label = Salt X Records/Universal Music Australia Producer = Xavier Rudd, Todd Simko… …   Wikipedia

  • Garrison Starr — Infobox musical artist Name = Garrison Starr Background = khaki Img capt = Origin = Hernando, Mississippi Born = birth date and age|1975|4|29 Genre = Folk Occupation = Singer songwriter Years active = 1993 present Instrument = vocals, Guitar,… …   Wikipedia

  • List of folk musicians — Andean= *Aconcagua *Savia Andina *AyopayamantaArgentina*Huldreslåt *Mercedes Sosa *Hernan Livolsi [http://www.myspace.com/hernanlivolsi] Armenia*Djivan Gasparyan *Richard A. Hagopian *Udi Hrant (lived in Turkey) *Kavarabar *Gor Mkhitarian *Ara… …   Wikipedia

  • Tegan and Sara — Tegan Quin and Sara Quin Tegan and Sara performing at the 2010 Polaris Music Prize Ceremony Background information Born …   Wikipedia

  • Patty Griffin — Infobox musical artist Name= Patty Griffin Img capt=Griffin performing at the North Carolina Museum of Art in 2006. Background= solo singer Birth name= Patricia Jean Griffin Born=birth date and age|1964|03|16 Origin= Old Town, Maine, United… …   Wikipedia

  • Erin McKeown — (born October 15, 1977) is a multi instrumentalist and folk rock singer/songwriter. McKeown began her career in the folk scene. She released her first album, Monday Morning Cold , on her own label (TVP Records), travelling throughout New England… …   Wikipedia

  • W.A.R.? - What Are Records? — is a Boulder, Colorado based independent record label founded in 1991 by former EMI A R executive Rob Gordon. Gordon doctored an alternative to the traditional royalty deal, an arrangement whereby the artist receives the variable profit” so… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”